The Zone
by Andi13
Summary: Stephanie tries to achieve a zone, at Ranger's request. However it isn't as easy as it seems. Small spoilers from TS.
1. Chapter 1

**The Zone **

Disclaimer: All these characters, except the FTAs,

belong to others that are not me, but I like to play with them.

Rating: PG-13, because of language and violence, and some romance stuff.

_Chapter 1_

Stephanie tried again. Not working, she thought, maybe if I try it from another angle.

Nope. Ouch.

"Now exhale as you move into downward dog position."

Thank God. I have found through this class that breathing is one of the few things in life that, as stated by the instructor, needs to be regulated. Screw it I'm gonna breathe how I want to and I'm getting a donut after this endless torture session.

Screw finding a zone. My zone is in the bakery. I love the thoughts of luscious, chocolate covered donuts and their creamy rich filling. This is my zone. My time that if anything is going wrong everything will just slow down enough to catch my newly found breath. Ranger was wrong, there was more than just meditation and yoga to finding a zone. It included something that he had plenty of and what I keep running out of, patience. This just made me want another donut. Sometimes there just isn't enough zone to go around and Ranger seemed to be hogging all of it.

"You did what?"

Lula was looking at me weird, as if she had just encountered someone from an alien race. I was still in my clothes from yoga and as much as I hate to admit it, it did make me feel a little calmer but energetic.

"I went to a yoga class this morning."

Oi, didn't they understand what I said the first 3 times? I told myself I would not go running again unless chasing down some nasty FTA. I needed an alternative and this had no running and was non-commitive on my part. This was perfect, not to mention that it was next door to Tasty Pastry so I could pick up breakfast on the way out.

"Yoga helps build muscle tone and your inner chi." Connie Rossoli said from behind her _Yoga For Idiots_ book.

"Since when have you been the expert on exercise programs?" Lula asked looking Connie over with a judgmental eye. Connie was 5'5" with chestnut colored wavy hair, curvy shape, and loads of makeup on her rapidly aging face.

"Since Stephanie said that it was how Ranger finds his inner zone and since I deal with you and Vinny all day, I'd say that I need a zone plus getting in shape can't hurt since I am behind this desk all day."

"Huh. You say Ranger does this?" Lula said with a new found interest and surprisingly not finding Connie's insult in her explanation. "I might try it out. So why do you go?" She asked me.

"Well, I need a zone," That whole Scrog thing scared the hell out of me. I decided that I need to find a zone so that even when I get kidnapped that I can think clearly. "Plus, the class is next to Tasty Pastry so I can get breakfast on the way out."

"That place will kill ya, Babe." A voice whispered into my ear.

Holy shit! I jumped enough to ram my knee into Connie's desk and fall on the floor, looking up at Ranger's amused face.

"Babe."

"Huh. Why didn't we see him when he come in?" Lula asked "We always see him walk in. He just has an aura about him."

Ranger lifted me up off the ground enough to have my feet dangle an inch from it before plopping me back down on it.

"Thanks," I said avoiding those rich, dark chocolate colored eyes in front of me.

"You need help with that kidnapping issue? I can help. I'll even make sure that no one will hurt you," he said, his voice brushing against my ear lobe.

I felt a blush creeping to my cheeks. "Nope, not yet but maybe later."

With a nod he turned his head to Connie. He knew as well as I that kidnapping wasn't a joke. I've been kidnapped so many times and assumed dead that if he didn't have a zone he would be dead from extreme anxiety.

"I heard you had some things for me."

"Yeah, we have Jane Greenwood and Harold Giavatta. Stephanie didn't have too much luck with him last time so we thought we'd give you him this time."

Ranger had a small smile on his face. Yeah, once again Stephanie had to ask one, Ranger, for help with her capture. This one either wasn't that technologically up to date or he was high on something because he was convinced that we were going to shoot him with Ranger's Maglite, as opposed to the Glock right next to it. We spent some time trying to get him off the roof until finally he jumped off into the backyard, sending Ranger snickering after him before he jumped the back fence.

"Can you take him, babe?" He said leaning especially close into me from behind to place Harold's folder back on the desk.

"Maybe. I'll take Lula with me this time though."

"Call me if you need me." He said placing a small kiss at the base of my neck and walking out the door to his big badass truck.

"So whose nasty ass are we picking up today?" Lula asked looking up from the window where Ranger just drove off in his truck.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

_Chapter 2_

We started out at Cluck in a Bucket to get some fries and a shake for Lula before going to pick up, or at least get a lead on Harold Giavatta. Harold always seemed to be a little extra nervous around us than police officers which is a mystery to us because if I saw me and Lula outside my window my first thought wouldn't be to run for cover.

Harold's house was as close as you got to poverty before the projects but could still hold a small community dirt lot for a backyard. The neighborhood didn't seem too bad but I still locked and set the alarm on my '99 Toyota Camry. Sometimes my logic does not make sense, like locking my car when in my subconscious is telling me that it is going to get blown up, spray painted, or stolen, all the same.

There was a large chance that he saw us and was about to bolt out the back door but we knocked anyways. 1…2…3. SLAM! We took off running. Harold was an unusually skinny man for the amount of time he spends eating potato chips on the couch watching reruns. And even more unusual was that he could run wickedly fast.

"You…go…ahead." Lula heaved after chasing him around the back yard for a couple minutes.

"Are you kidding me? This guy won't give up. So we can't either!" I yelled at Lula while trying to pull him down from the rafters of the house. This man was seriously a human version of a monkey.

"Since when do you have so much whoop ass in you? Last I checked we were the ones that didn't give a shit." Lula said, hands on her hips watching as I tried to pull Harold off the roof and instead got his pants.

"I don't know. I think it has to do with this whole zone thing, and not wanting to have Ranger help us all the time and making us the laughing stock of the police station. It might also have to do with that yoga stuff." I said while struggling with Harold who was already half way to the roof.

"Man. If I took that yoga stuff, we could really kick some ass. What are you going to do about Mr. Chimpanzee here?" Lula said looking at Harold's fur like hair covering his legs.

"I'm getting him down but I kinda need some help here Lula." I said as I was starting to just pull him by his ankles.

"…or maybe I should just try another diet that meat one gave me some energy but I did miss the twinkies…"

"LULA!"

"All right! I'll help get his skinny ass down here." She said grabbing a leg from me.

We pulled until he was sitting on the roof and we, still pulling, were kicked in the face.

"Hey you skinny ass! That wasn't nice! Don't you have no respect for ladies? Didn't your mama tell you not to kick them in the face, especially on a perfectly good makeup day?" Lula yelled as Harold pulled down the only barrier between us and Mr. Droopy.

Ugh.

"I think it's time to go home. This just made me lose my adrenaline rush." I said feeling mildly nauseous.

"Yeah, when Mr. Droopy decides to come out, I call it quits." Lula said while Harold started to shake his butt around at us.

We pulled up to the bonds office and had our jaws drop to the street. It was set on fire and sirens were just coming towards us. I know I had to face Morelli today, I just didn't know when. Connie came running towards us from Fiorelli's Deli. She looked excentric with frizzed out hair and running mascara.

"Thank goodness I found you." She heaved, "Stephanie there is a message for you at the Dry Cleaners. I don't know what it is 'cuz they will only let you see it. It was left on their voice mail."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: (for me) sorry it took so long to post another chapter. (and the story) see chapter 1.

The voice was an eerie form of calm. The kind of calm that comes like a snake hissing before the strike. Tension was an issue. I mean this day hasn't been the best but I can honestly say I have had worse. The message was said in a riddle voice.

_One more week you will have until the riddle is done_

_You want a zone, I will give you one_

_Make sure you're ready_

_Make sure you're wise_

_For I will make sure that this is your demise_

The week had begun and I wasn't sure what to do. No one had given me a time limit for my life before. This sounded like something that I couldn't handle but wanted to keep secret. Ranger has been overloaded for the past few weeks. The only times I have seen him is when he stops by the bonds office. Morelli would freak out and throw something at the wall. So, neither were really great options. Ranger would pull out more money than usual keeping track of me this time and Morelli doesn't do much but make sure that I have some RangeMan employee following me and most likely checking with Ranger to see that I was watched.

I need to do this on my own. I need a zone so that is the first step. I need to act calm in the intense situations that happen in my life. So I need to keep doing yoga and maybe eat some more donuts and some pizzas, those always help me relax…ooh and Tastycakes! This is going to be more fun than I thought.

All thoughts of death out of my mind I decided to go home and visit Rex. He must get lonely in that soup can all day. Plus, I liked flopping on my couch with a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Those were my constant men in my life. They always comforted me, fed me, and wouldn't mind to have a threesome without fighting over why the other was there. I like mature men…sometimes.

Rex was running on his wheel when I walked in but that isn't what made me gasp. My apartment was trashed. My comfy couch was now looking less appealing now that I saw what was under and in the cushions. I ran to the freezer. Phew. They didn't take the Ben and Jerry's. I looked around the kitchen. It wasn't too bad. The only thing that really made me angry was the cookie jar. It was shattered on the floor. I had remembered to take my gun with me today otherwise I would have to get a new one with Ranger and thus gaining another bodyguard.

I sat amongst the rubble in my living room, about to dive into my Ben and Jerry's when I broke down. I had warm, silent tears running down my face as I ran my fingers through my hair in anguish. Why did people like to torment me with death? Why do they want to mame, kidnap, and sometimes take over my life. Why do they want this for me? Why?

Just as I started to grab a deflated couch cushion to bury my face in I heard the front door click open. I hid my face. I did not want to have either of them to see me like this. They shouldn't need to feel the weight of what I feel right now.

There were no words. He just sat next to me and rubbed my back as I hid my face in the cushion. I cried over my messed up life. For the love life that made me confused. For the times I have endangered them. For the times I couldn't help myself. I cried my silent tears as he made sure that I wouldn't have a breakdown. After about a half an hour he opened the softened Ben and Jerry's and dipped a spoonful for me to eat. I took the melty substance in my mouth and the tears started to dry up. He gave me a small smile as he wiped the tears on my face off with his thumb. We continued this until he got a page and had to leave.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked, looking concerned at my tear streaked face.

"I think so." I said looking in the empty Ben and Jerry's carton wishing more would reappear and hoping that he wouldn't ask questions.

"Let me know if you need some help. I'll come when you need me." He said before placing a kiss on my forehead.

I nodded. I knew he would. I just needed some alone time for now. I might be fine in a day or two but for now I needed to think.

He left and I got off of the floor to migrate to my bed for the night. I knew my life was fucked up but the only thing I truly questioned as I drifted off was why they stuck around.


End file.
